Google Glass is a wearable computer with a head-mounted display (HMD) that is being developed by Google in the Project Glass research and development project,[7] with the mission of producing a mass-market ubiquitous computer.[1] Google Glass displays information in a smartphone-like hands-free format,[8] that can interact with the Internet via natural language voice commands.[9][10] While the frames do not currently have lenses fitted to them, Google is considering partnering with sunglass retailers such as Ray-Ban or Warby Parker, and may also open retail stores to allow customers to try on the device.[1] The Explorer Edition cannot be used by people who wear prescription glasses, but Google has confirmed that Glass will eventually work with frames and lenses that match the wearer’s prescription; the glasses will be modular and therefore possibly attachable to normal prescription glasses.[11]
Glass is being developed by Google X Lab,[12] which has worked on other futuristic technologies such as driverless cars. The project was announced on Google+ by Project Glass lead Babak Parviz, an electrical engineer who has also worked on putting displays into contact lenses; Steve Lee, a product manager and “geolocation specialist”; and Sebastian Thrun, who developed Udacity as well as worked on the self-driving car project.[13] Google has patented the design of Project Glass.[14][15] Thad Starner, an AR expert, is a technical lead/manager on the project.[16]
